I had a wonderful experience as an ALT bonding with my two schools, their students and staff. Being placed in a rural area was both difficult at times, but incredibly rewarding working with students and their main teachers on their English skills.
I had a lot of support from my supervisor, despite language barriers when I was getting settled in. Moving out was more my responsibility, but my supervisor took care of most paperwork issues once they were discussed and settled.
My co-teachers Japanese Teachers of English (JTE), were a mixed batch. Some JTE's only wanted me to be a human tape recorder, others had me planning lessons on my own for classes. There are a wide variety of personalities to interact with, but as long as you show a willingness to work with them and that you are invested in education it (usually) works out.
I was able to experience in real time my students change their perspectives on learning English. I won't say they love the subject now but they have more of an appreciation for what learning English is suppose to do, and what it can offer in the future.
What I wish was different
The cop out line of "each experience will be different" is over-used, but accurate. There are a lot of factors beyond the average participants' control such as supervisors, English communication skills of the lead teachers, placement, and prior ALT's that will affect your time as an ALT.
Take time to look into CLAIR's offerings, and look into personal or professional development courses as you progress on JET.
Prefecture-wide activities and outings are not always fesible for remote placements. The Skills Development Conference (SDC) is mandatory, so make the most of it.
Advice
Despite JET not requiring Japanese, I would highly encourage anyone planning to participate in learning conversational Japanese (approximately N5/N4) before going.
Remember that this is Japan Exchange & Teaching, you will be expected to be a cultural ambassador for your home country. Plan to talk about your country and culture just as much as you want to learn about Japan.
